Pass case attachment for billfolds



April 6, 1954 J. W. ST. THOMAS PASS CASE ATTACHMENT FOR BILLF'OLDS Filed June 19, 1955 INVENTOR. ES W. ST THOMAS JAM Patented Apr. 6, 1954 PASS CASE ATTACHMENT FOR BILLFOLDS James W. St. Thomas, Gloversville, N. Y., assignor to St. Thomas 1110., Gloversville, N. Y., a cor-'- poration of New York Application June 19, 1953, Serial No. 362,758

3' Claims. 1

This invention relates to billfolds carrying pass cases and, among other objects, aims to provide a greatly improved pass case attachment for billfolds.

Another object of the invention is to provide a greatly simplified pass case for billfolds adapted to be secured to the outer wall of the billfold in such a manner that it is easily accessible when the billfold is in its closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified pass case attachment of the type set forth, adapted to be applied to different types of billfolds.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a simplified pass case attachment for billfolds made of a single panel or sheet of leather, plastic, or other material, adapted to be stitched to the outer wall of a billfold near the fold line and utilizing the outer wall as the inner wall of the pass case.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a pass case attachment for French purses of the general type disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,531,306, dated November 21, 1950.

Other aims and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention applied to a combination billfold and purse;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary edge view of the billfold and pass case shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the pass case attachment shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a face view showing the pass case applied to an ordinary billfold.

Referring more particularly to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the preferred form of pass case is shown in Fig. 1, as being applied to a French purse of the same type as that covered by the aforesaid patent to St. Thomas, No. 2,531,306, dated November 21, 1950, and entitled Combined Purse and Billfold. However, it is to be understood that the attachment may be applied to other types of billfolds. The combined purse and billfold iii has an inner wall member ii and an outer wall member l2 closed at one end and adapted to be opened at the other end to provide a bill compartment from which the bills may be pulled out endwise. The open end is shown as being closed by frame members it to afford access to a change pocket or purse and to the ends of money bills inserted in the hill 2 compartment, as clearly shown and described in the aforesaid patent. The billfold is usually made of leather or other suitable flexible material.

The pass case attachment is shown as being made of a panel or wall member l4, shown as being rectangular in shape and attached by an inwardly folded end portion to the wall 12 of the billfold adjacent to the fold line by a row of stitches l5, and it carries leaf-like pass containers it, which are usually made of transparent material, such as cellulose acetate. These containers are shown as being secured in pairs to narrow hinge strips ll of leather or other flexible material, and these hinge strips are secured to the hinge line of the folded portion of the panel wall M by a row of stitches i8 spaced from the row of stitches l5. However, it is contemplated that these pass containers may be removably secured to the fold portion of the panel wall.

The rectangular panel member I4 is shown as having a narrow inwardly folded flap I?) at its free end portion and this flap is retained in its folded condition by a metal reinforcing element 20, conveniently in the form of a small, split metal tube clamped on the folded edge portion. This flap member not only provides a means for securing the wall 14 of the pass case in its closed position against the outer wall I2 of the billfold, but it also provides a holding tab for confining the open ends of the pass containers it between it and the panel wall l4, so that all of the container leaves may be closed, book fashion, before the pass case is fastened in its closed position.

In the illustrated example, the inwardly folded flap I9 is shown as carrying a male snap fastener element 2! adjacent to the clamping tube element 2n and it cooperates with a female snap fastener element 22 adjacent to the closed end edge of the billfold wall I2. The construction and arrangement is such that, when the pass case is closed, its closed edge is adjacent to the closed end of the billfold and is easily accessible to be opened to expose the pass containers I4 without first opening the billfold. When it is thus opened, one or more of the pass containers may be flipped open from their confined position behind the flap I9 to expose the contents to view in succession. In other words, the containers may be opened in much the same fashion as are the successive leaves of a book, quickly to expose selected cards or passes to view. The

' reinforcing tube or clamping element 20 provides for grasping the free end of the pass case wall to open the pass case without distorting the folded edge.

Fig. 4 is a plan or face view showing the pass case applied to an ordinary billfold I which is closed at its opposite ends in the usual manner. The pass case attachment is identical with that shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive. The wall panel 54 is preferably made of the same material as the outer wall of the billfold and it is secured so that its hinge or fold portion is closely adjacent to the transverse fold line of the billfol-d.

In both illustrated forms of the invention the pass case attachment utilizes the outer wall of the billfold as the inner wall of the pass case, thus effecting great economy in the amount of material necessary to be employed. The construction renders itself readily to assembly on any type of billfold. It is only necessary that a folded end edge portion of the wall panel of the pass case be stitched or otherwise secured across the outer wall of the billfold adjacent to its transverse fold line. A single row of stitches is sufiicient for that purpose and the stitches will be concealed from view when the pass case is closed.

Obviously, the invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A pass case attachment for billfolds comprising a substantially rectangular wall member made of flexible material having an end edge portion secured to the outer wall of the billfold adjacent to its fold line; a plurality of transparent pass containers hingedly secured to the wall member adjacent to said edge portion; an inwardly folded flap member on the free end of said wall member under which the open ends of said pass containers are adapted to be confined; and a fastening element carried by said folded flap member coacting with fastening means on one end portion of the outer wall of the billfold to close the pass case against the billfold, thereby employing the outer wall of the billfold as an inside wall of the pass case.

2. A pass case attachment for billfolds, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said inwardly folded flap member on the free end of said wall member is provided with a metal reinforcing member extending along its folded edge to hold it in its folded position.

3. A pass case attachment for billfolds, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rectangular wall member is made of the same material as the outer wall member of the billfold; and wherein the fastening member comprises a male snap fastener element on the inwardly folded flap; and wherein a coacting female snap fastener element is provided in the outer wall of the billfold adjacent to its closed end edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,558,921 Reichle Oct. 27, 1925 2,606,589 Linehan Aug. 12, 1952 

